Crazy or brave?

TEHRAN — Iranian officials arrested a Japanese reporter and two Canadian reporters during anti-government protests this week and charged them with “unauthorized reporting,” the semiofficial Fars news agency reported Friday. It did not identify the reporters or their news organizations. The three reporters join two others whose agencies said they were also arrested during Wednesday’s protests marking the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy here. Agence France Presse said its local reporter Farhad Pouladi was detained and the International Federation of Journalists said a Danish journalist, Niels Krogsgaard, was arrested in connection with the demonstration.

“The claim about the arrest of the AFP journalist is under investigation,” the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency cited Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi as saying Friday. Iranian media gave no further details on the other arrested foreigners. All are still believed to be in custody.[...]

Hopefully they are released soon and unharmed.

Meanwhile protesting Iranians are reaching out to Obama….

Nedaagain NO MISUNDERSTANDING WITH LANGUAGE BARRIER
MR #OBAMA HERE PLS LISTEN & DECIDE WHAT SIDE ARE YOU??
_{Embedded video}

“Obama Are you with us or with them?”

Link @YouTube
Previously:
(Descending)
[Update XI:] Iran closes Al Arabiya’s offices in Tehran] Iran Erupts: Sham Election Ignites Heated Protests
[Updated w/ report of police brutality - photo] Video: Iranian Riot Police on Motorcycles Ram Straight Through Protesters
Iran Jamming BBC Satellite Used to Broadcast BBC Persian TV
Iran Election Aftermath [Update 6: June 15 election protest-photo AP photog. reports seeing 1 person shot & killed]
Video: In Iran a Basij militia armed with an AK-47 opens fire into crowd of protesters from rooftop
#IranElection: US State Dept Asking Twitter to Stay Up
Ahmadinejad’s Coup d’Etat? [Updated: Video of Makhmalbaf's at European Parliament]
One of these Obama “quotes” is not like the others
Flight 93 Memorial Blogburst: AP up to old tricks–Obama did NOT say that Iran must respect voters’ choice
Sunday Toonage: Iran Election
Eyewitnesses: Basij’s clearly targeted Neda Agha-Soltan
Video: “Killing more students in Iran June 22 2009″

More young victims of the Iranian “Green Revolution”

My God!

Warning: This video may not be suitable for minors.

More students were shot today by regime militia in iran on June 22 2009

Link @YouTube
———————————–



Previously:
(Descending)
[Update XI:] Iran closes Al Arabiya’s offices in Tehran] Iran Erupts: Sham Election Ignites Heated Protests
[Updated w/ report of police brutality - photo] Video: Iranian Riot Police on Motorcycles Ram Straight Through Protesters
Iran Jamming BBC Satellite Used to Broadcast BBC Persian TV
Open Thread-Iran Election Aftermath [Update 6: June 15 election protest-photo AP photog. reports seeing 1 person shot & killed]
Video: In Iran a Basij militia armed with an AK-47 opens fire into crowd of protesters from rooftop
Twitter Alert: #IranElection “So you want to help Iranians, but you’re not actually in Iran? Here’s what you can do to help”
Twitter Alert: #IranElection Cyberwarfare Guide
#IranElection: US State Dept Asking Twitter to Stay Up
Ahmadinejad’s Coup d’Etat? [Updated: Video of Makhmalbaf's at European Parliament]
One of these Obama “quotes” is not like the others
Flight 93 Memorial Blogburst: AP up to old tricks–Obama did NOT say that Iran must respect voters’ choice
Sunday Toonage: Iran Election
Eyewitnesses: Basij’s clearly targeted Neda Agha-Soltan

R.I.P. Neda Agha Soltan - 1982-2009

The story of “Neda: Angel of Freedom” and the horrifying way she was made to leave this beautiful earth. Her life taken from her in an instant as if it were meaningless. But as history proves evil tyrants have no compassion for humanity. As was the case of the cold blooded murder of an innocent. A young woman in the dawn of her life–Neda Agha-Soltan. God rest her soul. May the monsters who took her life roast in hell.

The woman, Neda Agha-Soltan, was buried on Sunday.Her fiance, Caspian Makan, told BBC Persian TV about the circumstances of Neda’s death.
She was near the area, a few streets away, from where the main protests were taking place, near the Amir-Abad area. She was with her music teacher, sitting in a car and stuck in traffic.

She was feeling very tired and very hot. She got out of the car for just for a few minutes.

And that’s when it all happened.

That’s when she was shot dead. Eyewitnesses and video footage of the shooting clearly show that probably Basij paramilitaries in civilian clothing deliberately targeted her. Eyewitnesses said they clearly targeted her and she was shot in the chest.

…..

On Monday afternoon, we had planned to hold a memorial service at the mosque.

But the authorities there and the paramilitary group, the Basij, wouldn’t allow it because they were worried it would attract unwanted attention and they didn’t want anymore trouble.

Read the rest >>>

Medius Oriens has put up a website in memory of young Neda Agha-Soltan “Neda’s Voice”

An excerpt of her thoughts.

I created this site to preserve the memory of the young lady I first wrote about on Medius Oriens, and whom we all know as Neda. The advent of social media, including the sites of Twitter and YouTube, has meant we have been able like never before to grieve with those struggling against tyranny. Since the Iranian presidential election of 2009 on June 12, millions around the world have tuned in to watch events unfold, as thousands of passionate Iranian individuals have coalesced around a common hope. What started as a cry for a re-count of a stolen election led to a demand for a re-vote. Some are now calling for an entirely new constitution.

What the drama of the so-called Green Revolution has thus far shown us is the indefatigable longing for freedom in the hearts of men and women living under repressive regimes. The story of Neda may, as I expect, become the story of this movement. Neda was just a young lady living in an otherwise beautiful nation with an unparalleled culture.

A Facebook page titled “Angel of Iran” has been created to honor her:

* NEDA * – ANGEL OF IRAN

Personally I can not bring myself to post the YouTube video of her death. I do not have it in me.

If you care to watch it you can find it here.

Warning:  Extremely graphic.

Previously:
[Update XI:] Iran closes Al Arabiya’s offices in Tehran] Iran Erupts: Sham Election Ignites Heated Protests
[Updated w/ report of police brutality - photo] Video: Iranian Riot Police on Motorcycles Ram Straight Through Protesters
Iran Jamming BBC Satellite Used to Broadcast BBC Persian TV
Open Thread-Iran Election Aftermath [Update 6: June 15 election protest-photo AP photog. reports seeing 1 person shot & killed]
Video: In Iran a Basij militia armed with an AK-47 opens fire into crowd of protesters from rooftop
Twitter Alert: #IranElection “So you want to help Iranians, but you’re not actually in Iran? Here’s what you can do to help”
Twitter Alert: #IranElection Cyberwarfare Guide
#IranElection: US State Dept Asking Twitter to Stay Up
Ahmadinejad’s Coup d’Etat? [Updated: Video of Makhmalbaf's at European Parliament]
One of these Obama “quotes” is not like the others
Flight 93 Memorial Blogburst: AP up to old tricks–Obama did NOT say that Iran must respect voters’ choice
Sunday Toonage: Iran Election